Design, Physical Prototyping and Initial Characterization of “Lockyballs”
Virtual and Physical Prototyping 2012
Rodrigo Rezenda, Frederico Pereira, Aleksandr Ovsianikov, Vladimirs Kasjanovs, Jan Torgensen, Peter Gruber, Jurgen Stanpfl, Ken Brakke, Julia Nogueitra, Vladimir Mironov, Jorge de Silva

Directed tissue self-assembly or bottom-up modular approach in tissue biofabrication is an attractive and potentially superior alternative to a classic top-down solid scaffoldbased approach in tissue engineering. For example, rapidly emerging organ printing technology using self-assembling tissue spheroids as building blocks is enabling a computer-aided robotic bioprinting of 3D tissue constructs. However, achieving proper material properties while maintaining desirable geometry and shape of 3D bioprinted tissue engineered constructs using directed tissue self-assembly, is still a challenge. Proponents of directed tissue self-assembly see solution of this problem in developing methods of accelerated tissue maturation and/or using sacrificial temporal supporting of removable hydrogels. In the meantime, there is a growing consensus that a third strategy based on the integration of a directed tissue self-assembly approach with a conventional solid scaffold-based approach could be a potential optimal solution. We hypothesize that tissue spheroids with “velcro®-like” interlockable solid microscaffolds or simply “lockyballs” could enable the rapid in vivo biofabrication of 3D tissue constructs at desirable material properties and high initial cell density. Recently, biocompatible and biodegradable photo-sensitive biomaterials could be fabricated at nanoscale resolution using two-photon polymerization (2PP), a development rendering this technique a high potential to fabricate “velcro-like” interlockable microscaffolds. Here we report design studies, physical prototyping using 2PP and initial functional characterization of interlockable solid microscaffolds or so-called “lockyballs”. 2PP was used as a novel enabling platform technology for rapid bottom-up modular tissue biofabrication of interlockable constructs. The principle of lockable tissue spheroids fabricated using the described lockyballs as solid microscaffolds is characterized by attractive new functionalities such as lockability and tunable material properties of the engineered constructs. It is reasonable to predict that these building blocks create the basis for a development of a clinical in vivo rapid biofabrication approach and forms part of recent promising emerging bioprinting technologies.


Atslēgas vārdi
lockyballs, nanotechnology, bioengineering
DOI
10.1080/17452759.2012.740877
Hipersaite
URL: http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/nvpp

Rezenda, R., Pereira, F., Ovsianikov, A., Kasjanovs, V., Torgensen, J., Gruber, P., Stanpfl, J., Brakke, K., Nogueitra, J., Mironov, V., de Silva, J. Design, Physical Prototyping and Initial Characterization of “Lockyballs”. Virtual and Physical Prototyping, 2012, Vol.7, Iss.4, 287.-301.lpp. e-ISSN 1745-2767. ISSN 1745-2759. Pieejams: doi:10.1080/17452759.2012.740877

Publikācijas valoda
English (en)
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